The Mission: a Dramione smut
by slythadri
Summary: EWE, Adult content. Ministry Undersecretary Granger is required to bring a security detail for a diplomatic mission. Just her luck that the best man for this particular job is auror Malfoy. Great. Like she doesn't have enough in her plate.
1. Chapter 1

"Minister please, can't you just assign someone else? I can take care of myself perfectly, accepting an official security detail is just a formality."

Kingsley Shacklebolt shook his head no. "Hermione, you are not traveling on personal business. You are a Ministry asset. Your protection is a matter of national security, not a reflection of my opinion of you as a very capable witch. I will assign whomever I consider the best man for the job."

Hermione let out a loud breath, a bit disrespectful considering that she was talking to the Minister of Magic. But this was one of those times where she had trouble keeping her cool.

She was going on a diplomatic mission to Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Ministry intelligence had shown that rogue Dark wizards were hiding in that region, using their wealth as a shield. Having the British Ministry Undersecretary on a diplomatic mission walking the streets of their turf was too much of a temptation. They would probably try an attack, even a botched one, just to make a point. She knew this, and she also knew it was better to have with her the man who had successfully tracked and infiltrated those groups: Draco Malfoy.

After the war Malfoy joined the aurors in an effort to put his past experiences to good use. The thing is, he was really good at his job. He became the number one asset for the ministry double agent division. He was a natural spy, since he spent his adolescence hiding his feelings and real motives from his own family and even from Voldemort himself. He was an accomplished Occlumens and Legilimens. He had infiltrated the rogue wizards hiding in Asia easily, playing the part of the rich brat that had bribed his way in to the Ministry. He sold Ministry secrets to the dark wizards for vast amounts of money and then spent it ostentatiously, a pattern that kept the thugs pleased with themselves and with him. Only Minister Shacklebolt was privy to the details of the secrets sold. It was a game of smoke and mirrors, where they carefully chose what could be sold at an exact time before that piece of information became obsolete, so no real danger was posed to National security. It was a dangerous game, and Malfoy played it well.

On a personal level, to say that Hermione Granger felt conflicted about Draco Malfoy was an understatement. As Ministry Undersecretary she knew she could trust the Minister's judgment, but to trust Malfoy was an entirely different thing. Or maybe it was not a matter of trust. It was a matter of chemistry. Hermione was the Ministry's straight and narrow. Malfoy was the fog. But also there was the other type of chemistry. The kind that made it difficult for her to fall asleep every time she had to interact with him. His cocky playboy attitude was infuriating but also insanely hot. He would always stand too close to her, checking her out with obvious lechery. After their meetings were adjourned he would find a way to sneak close to her to speak in her ear "always a pleasure Granger". And then he would walk away without looking back.

In an effort to regain a sense of control before the assignment, Hermione sent Draco a memo requesting a meeting in her office. Maybe if she could set some ground rules she would feel better about the whole debacle. A week of diplomatic work was a lot of time to be thrown out of focus by this man and his unbridled sex appeal.

She heard the firm knock on the door and answered "come in".

He walked in looking smug as always, that infuriating smirk of his painted in his stupidly handsome face.

"Good morning Granger" he said without looking at her face. His eyes went straight to the cleavage of her buttoned up blouse.

She had picked a silky white one that a minute before had suddenly felt a bit too tight to breath, so she undid the two top buttons, leaving for him a hint of what was underneath, not that that was her intention. She had just find it hard to breath when the meeting time had approached.

"Good morning Malfoy. I'm finalizing the details of the diplomatic mission and I wanted to check in with you to make sure we are on the same page".

He chuckled "It's your mission Granger, and I do love a woman on top."

She rolled her eyes at the innuendo "obviously I am aware of the image you have projected to the rogue elements hiding in that region, and they will see you as a corrupt member of my party. Still, you will be coming as my official security detail, so you would need to keep appearances for the foreign diplomats. No extracurricular activities that can be seen by the press please. You can go back to your philandering ways when this week is over."

Draco lifted an eyebrow "meaning?"

Hermione rolled her eyes and stood up from her desk, feeling uneasy "I see the reports Malfoy. There are always pictures of you and your rogue targets in strip clubs and brothels, women and liquor everywhere. That is acceptable when you are pretending to be in your own personal time. But this is an official mission, not an undercover one. All I'm asking is that you stay sober and keep your trousers zipped for one week."

Draco stood up and walked around her desk, standing way to close for comfort

"My my Granger. Are you jealous?"

She tried a dismissive snort that came out quite pathetic.

"Just keep things professional and clean for a week Malfoy. That's all I need."

He leaned in to speak in her ear  
"I wouldn't mind getting dirty and unprofessional with you Granger. And if you must know those pictures are all for show. I do not put myself at risk letting my guard down with those women. Actually I haven't had a good shag in a very long time. Would you like to help me with that?"

She stood there, frozen, breathing in shallow gasps.

He chuckled and gave her his usual parting phrase

"always a pleasure Granger."


	2. Chapter 2

That evening Hermione went home to finalize her personal packing for the diplomatic mission. Actually, everything was already packed and organized, her need for control always keeping things in order.

But tonight looking at her neatly packed bags did nothing to make her feel better. She was absolutely rattled. Her meeting with Malfoy made things worst for her, her mind was racing and she was sure she was not going to have a minute of rest tonight. And she needed to rest. This was a crucial meeting, and she needed to be on top of her game.

She jumped in the shower and stayed there for a long time under the warm water, hunted by images of Draco Malfoy standing behind her, naked and wet, running his hands over her body and making her shiver. Finally, she gave up and got out of the bathroom, furiously toweling her body and hair and pacing around her room. Suddenly she felt like a crack was breaking through her restraint. Doing something about her unhinged libido felt like a matter of survival.

She saw her favorite white trench coat hanging on her closet. Without thinking she put it on, tying the belt tight and slipped her feet on a pair of red high heel pumps. Then she walked straight to the floo. She grabbed a pinch of powder and called the location of Malfoy's flat.

The second she walked out of the flames it hit her that he may not be alone. Or he may not want her there. She invaded his privacy without thinking. Hermione Granger never did anything without thinking. Before she could do anything else he walked into the living room where the floo was, wand pointed at her. He obviously had jumped out of the shower when the wards got breached, only a towel around his waist; probably the only reason she was able to cross unannounced was because she was the interim Minister when Shacklebolt was out of the country, so her privileges were almost unlimited.

He lowered his wand and lift an eyebrow "Granger? What are you doing here?"

She didn't have an answer.

He looked at her, from her damp hair down to her red pumps. He slowly walked to the couch and took a sit, reading the situation correctly.

"Beautiful shoes Granger. Anything else you want to show me?"

She slowly walked towards the couch and stood in front of him, switching her gaze back and forth between his lustful grey eyes and the obvious erection growing under the towel. His wet, slightly long hair fell over his face, giving him the appearance of a fallen angel.

She untied the belt of her trench coat and let the whole thing fell on the floor.

For a minute he took on the view of her glorious naked body. He slipped the towel that was covering him and let it fell on the floor on top of her coat, then offered her his hands.

She took them and climbed to straddle him, slipping off her shoes. She placed herself on top of his hardness and used her hand to position his cock on her entrance, which was already soaking wet. Without a word she impaled herself on him, making both of them moan loudly.

He cupped her face and pulled her down for a deep, desperate kiss. She answered in kind, slowly rolling her hips while anxiously devouring his mouth. He paced his thrusts to the movement of her hips.

"Fuck Granger, this is what I wanted. This is all I wanted." He trailed kisses down her neck to find her supple breasts and feasted on them like a starving man.

"Draco" was all she could muster, head hanging back, holding him to her chest.

"Yes beautiful. Say my name. Tell me that you want me, Hermione."

"I want you so much Draco. You hunt my thoughts, I can't sleep, I can't think, I needed this."

He held her tight and switched her around to lie on the couch with him on top, sliding out of her slowly, then plowing back in a long, hard trust. She growled with pleasure, and he repeated this a few more times, until she wrapped her legs around his hips, begging for more.

"I need to know that you are mine. Hermione, tell me that you want to be mine" he said and started pounding her mercilessly.

"I want you. I want to be yours, I want you to own me."

That confession took them both over the edge. Her walls clenched around him and he spilled his seed inside of her, pulsing with bliss.

After coming back from their ecstasy he transfigured the couch to make it wider and lied down next to her. He summoned a throw blanket and covered both of them up to their waists. Then he nestled her in his arms, against his chest.

After a few minutes of cuddling she spoke

"So, you are telling me that you are not the promiscuous rich brat that the criminals take you to be?"

He laughed

"Is called undercover work Granger. Is about pretending to be a thug, not really being one"

She felt a bit of relief but it was difficult to believe. She had seen pictures of what seemed to be piles of sleeping naked women in his hotel rooms.

"I'm not trying to judge you Draco, I just want the truth. I've seen pictures of what appeared to be orgies in rooms were your belongings are."

He shrugged. "Those are the easiest to stage. I leaked a rumor that I only liked muggle women. I take three or four of them from the muggle clubs with me, leave them at the room on their own with a lot of liquor, sex toys and kinky paraphernalia, while I supposedly go take care of some urgent mobster business, and come back a few hours later. They are usually asleep, drunk, and the stage is perfect if one of the thugs comes by to check on me. If I have to deal with an insistent woman a little confundus charm takes care of that. One time they sent a very suspicious one, I think she was a trained muggle spy. That one I obliviated and tied her up to the bed with some furry handcuffs and glamour a few fake bruises and cuts on her. The goons thought that I had gone wild on her and then obliviated her to cover the nasty stuff I did."

Hermione chuckled at that. He continued

"Whenever I come back I present my memories directly to the Minister, I make sure there is a clear record that I don't do anything illegal or outside the limits of the mission. I cannot risk doing anything outside the law, not with my history during the war. You haven't been privy to any of it yet but it may still happen, if you are acting Minister whenever I come back from an assignment."

She looked into his eyes, almost as if she was seeing him for the first time.

"What about your cocky attitude around the ministry? Is that real or fake?"

He brushed her cheek with his fingers and answered

"The ministry is full of moles. Even if there are no real dark wizards inside, all those tarts recently graduated from Hogwarts are an easy target to those who want to know about our people. Is better for my agent persona if those silly girls think is a matter of time before I corner someone in a lavatory. Even better if one of them actually starts a rumor."

She drew circles with her fingers on his chest and asked

"And what about the real Draco? What is he really like? What does he want?"

He smirked.

"The real Draco is still an ambitious bastard. Right now he wants to get the Ministry Undersecretary to fall for him. Do you think he would have a chance? She's the smartest witch in Britain. Not an easy target."

She let her fingers follow the trail down his chest, his abs, all the way down to find his awakening rod.

"I think he may do it. Though I'm not sure if he is using illegal means. He may have put her on some sort of sex spell." She gave him a couple of soft strokes that made him hiss.

"Fuck Granger. Ask me for anything you want and I will give it to you. Anything."

She kept stroking him slowly "why would you do that? Why offer so much?"

He opened his eyes and looked at her

"Because I have risked my life enough to know that everything can end in a blink. Because I spent my school years pining over you and having to cover it with insults to please my father. Because I have been a puppet of the ministry long enough. I atoned for my sins. Now I want something for myself. Something real. Something that cannot be bought. You cannot be bought."

She closed the distance to kiss him, still stroking him. She wanted to please him, to make him feel home. She slid underneath him and guide him to her entrance again.

He held back for a second

"I want to please you, Hermione. Let me go down on you, let me explore your body."

She pushed her hips up to force him in.

"There will be time for that. Tonight I need you raw, I need you to fuck the doubts and hesitation out of me."

He looked her straight in the eye

"Yes Madam Undersecretary. Whatever you say. Whatever you need. "


	3. Chapter 3

The next day Draco and Hermione were looking sharp, ready to take the portkey that will transport them to Laos. They hold on to the old bucket when it started to glow and a few seconds later landed on their designated port of entry. The last hour at the ministry back in England had been all formalities and work talk with other coworkers and within themselves, so Draco took the opportunity to talk alone for a few minutes after their landing.

"Really Granger? Did you have to wear the white trench coat? I'm in charge of security here and is hard to focus on my surroundings if I have a massive hard on taking all my blood from my brain."

She gave him a malicious smile

"Well the mistake was not to wear it today, it was to wear it last night. It was hanging on the door of my closet ready for this trip and it suddenly seemed like a great idea to wear that and nothing else and show up at your place. That, by the way, is your fault. You, with your innuendos and your salacious looks and your ridiculously handsome face. Is no surprise that I lost the blood flow to _my_ brain and ended up going to beg to be shagged like a cheap whore."

He opened his eyes like saucers

"Language Madam Undersecretary. This is an official government assignment."

By then the delegation from Laos was walking towards them so she answered between her teeth

"Then stop imagining how I would look kneeling naked in front of your trousers"

He covered his face with his hand and took a deep breath before composing it into his best Malfoy mask of aristocratic detachment. Thank Merlin for formal robes, his unruly cock was hidden for now. This little minx was going to pay, and pay dearly. They had six hours of planned meetings and events before retiring to rest for a couple of hours and coming back for a gala. That was going to be episode one of Draco's revenge. Episode two would be after the gala. She didn't have a prayer.

Hermione was on top of her game all day. She was a pleasure to be seen in action. Methodical, organized, clear, never allowed herself to be tricked into empty political promises. Draco was enthralled by her. He had seen her at work at the ministry many times, but this was Granger unleashed, in charge, answering to no one. She was magnificent. And it took a big mental effort for him to not smirk to those poor bastards that were trying to play politics with her. It also took a great effort to not talk dirty in her ear during the few breaks they had. Sweet Circe, he wanted that goddess sitting on his face.

On her part, Hermione felt invincible being escorted by Draco. He was the epitome of aristocratic upbringing, and when she caught a glimpse of the two of them walking side by side in a mirror of the magnificent palace, she understood what people meant when they used the term power couple. He was not only watching their surroundings but he kept track of the whole meeting, giving her observations on the reactions of the diplomats to her presence there. He was a master of reading people and his input helped her make some sharp decisions on the spot. The results were extraordinary.

When they came back to the hotel to rest before the gala he walked into her private suite to secure the premises. She watched him perform his meticulous work and felt desperate to have him inside of her.

When he was done he came to stand next to her.

"Is there anything else I can do for you Madam Undersecretary?"

She stepped closer

"I don't know agent Malfoy. I was wondering if you wanted to see me kneel?"

He shook his head no.

"Madam Undersecretary, after the display of power that you showed today all I desire is to have you on top of me, if possible sitting on my face."

That was about all she needed to hear. She jumped and wrapped her arms and legs around him; luckily his frame was so much bigger tan hers, so he was able to grab her, carry her to the bed and kiss her on the meantime. Along the way there were bumps, giggles, accidental bites and all kinds of delicious mischief.

Not only was it an incredibly sexy moment, they both felt elated. Being together was just easy. He was so straight forward that she didn't have time to overthink anything. On the other hand, he was more than happy to be up front with her.

It was refreshing that because Hermione was the interim minister in Shacklebolt's absence, he had an oath obligation to be truthful. He liked that. One person he couldn't fool, both because of legal reasons and because she was too smart to fall for any façade. His spy job was emotionally draining, too similar to his adolescence, when he had to put a front constantly, first to please and then to survive.

His dating life had not been too different from that. After the war he renounced the marriage contract his parents had established for him, yet finding someone that could deal with his past without being either scared of him or some kind of crazy Death Eater groupie type was a problem. The young Hogwarts graduates that joined the ministry were not that prejudiced, but they were, well, young. They were all taken with him, after all he was handsome and rich, but there was nothing for him among them. He was an intellectual, despite the kind of job he did. And his talent for reading people made him get bored easily when a person had nothing to be read about them.

But Hermione Granger was a completely different story. They always had strong feelings for each other. During their time at Hogwarts he was constantly conflicted because this girl, towards whom he was supposed to have nothing but contempt because of her muggle blood, was smarter than him, more powerful and never backed up. The most confusing time of his life was probably third year, when she slapped him in the face. After that show of force he spent months having confusing, quasi-erotic dreams about her, at least as erotic as his thirteen year old brain was able to handle.

That episode came back to mind at this exact moment and he couldn't help but chuckle. She was on top, now down to her loungerie, kissing him, when he laughed.

She stopped and lift an eyebrow.

"What's funny?"

"I'm sorry love. I just remembered that my first wet dream ever happened after you slapped me in the face back in third year. It seems fitting to remember that today, after watching you figuratively slap a whole bunch of slimy politicians."

She gave him a mischievous smile.

"Do you remember the dream?"

He nodded.

"It's a bit embarrassing, considering that I was thirteen and didn't understand why it was so arousing. I dreamed that you got me in a body binding spell, laying on the grass at that spot where you had hit me. You were straddling me and saying that you could do whatever you wanted to me. That was my first set of ruined sheets."

They both cracked laughing but before he could react she pointed her wand at him

"Incarcerous"

Ropes materialized and tied his wrists to the head of the bed

"What are you doing Granger?" he asked a bit concerned.

She leaned down and put a finger on his lips.

"Shhh. No point fighting. I can do whatever I want to you"

Then she rolled her hips to tease his bulging erection.

"Fuck. You are going make me ruin these trousers."

"You are a rich man Malfoy. You can afford to ruin a couple of things"

And with that she ripped his shirt open, buttons flying everywhere. Then she ran her nails down his chest and abdomen, unzipped his trousers and let the tip of his cock come out free. She caressed the head with her fingertips.

He was desperately trying to fight the restrains. She gave him a soft slap on his cheek and pointed a finger to his face.

"Stop fighting Malfoy. You are mine."

He shivered, feeling way too close to climax

"Fuck Granger, I'm going to come if you keep torturing me. I'm going to spill all over here."

She clicked her tongue, chastising him.

"That would be a waste. Why spill all over when you can come in my mouth?"

Then she dove down and took him in her mouth, as much as she could fit. His head rolled back, he couldn't help fighting the restraints while moaning loudly, overwhelmed by the wet and hot sensation. She only needed to suck him a few times before he was pulsing and filling her mouth with his release.

She smiled at him, licking her lips.

"Finite incantatum"

The ropes disappeared and he pulled her down over his chest.

"Fuck Granger. You are so much better than my dreams."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N Warning: there is some verbal reference to forced sex on this chapter.

Draco sat on an armchair next to the bed, dressed in gala robes, and he looked at the woman in front of him. She was doing the finishing touches to her updo, standing in front of a full-length mirror. She was wearing a jade green silk dress with traditional embroidements made by local artisans; if you looked carefully you would notice that the patterns were dragons. He smiled to himself. Even if it was a coincidence he knew that she understood the symbolism for him. The dress had a high neck and was floor length but it was sleeveless and followed the shape if her body. It had a triangular cut that let her back show while emphasizing her breasts and waste, and a slit in the back of the skirt up to the knee to be able to walk. She smiled at him in the mirror.

"Almost done"

"Take your time love. I'm enjoying the view from here."

After she was finished he stood up and offered his arm. He couldn't help but smirk at what a magnificent couple they made. He may not subscribe to the old views but he was still a Malfoy. He knew the value that the perfect woman added to a man. His mother had chosen the flawless trophy wife role, but that was not for him. He wanted his witch strong and powerful, a force to reckon with. He found that not only attractive but made him feel powerful himself, a man not scared to stand next to the sun and get burned.

When they walked into the magnificent ballroom of the Magical Government palace of Laos he felt a shiver down his spine. Something was off. He needed to stay on guard. They passed a tray of champagne flutes and he allowed Hermione to take one but gesture for her to wait until he performed a quick wandless spell to check it. It was clean. She got on guard. Draco was too perceptive to be just acting paranoid. She performed a quick spell of her own and turned both of their drinks into a sparkling non-alcoholic drink. He smiled taking a sip. He may be able to read the room, but she could read him like a book. He stayed watchful, keeping his indifference mask on while he started scanning minds around without being invasive. He didn't want the foreign diplomats to consider him dangerous, which he was. Then it happened.

Hermione was standing a few feet from him, talking to the Lao Minister when he sensed the thought. He drew his wand and with a spell pushed Hermione and the Minister to the side half a second before the giant chandelier above them crushed on the floor. He ran to grab her and tried to apparate them out but he couldn't. She looked at him with shock. It was obvious that she tried to apparate them too and failed. The room must have been bewitched from the outside, which meant that they were surrounded. They moved quickly to find cover, but they couldn't be sure from where the attack would come. An explosion opened a hole in the wall in front of them.

Draco spoke in her ear

"Give me your wand. Trust me".

She looked at him questioningly but did as told. He took her wand and grabbed her by the hair, pulling her up.

Through the hole in the wall walked a group of dark wizards.

"Malfoy. What a pleasant surprise. What do you have for us there."

Draco looked impassive, handling her like a rag doll and holding his wand to her neck.

"I have a big jackpot here. She's gonna cost you quite a bit since after this I won't be able to go back to England. I'll think about my price but first I have some personal affairs to settle with this little slut." He licked her face lasciviously, causing the dark wizards to cackle.

"Fine, you have 10 minutes Malfoy. But you're gonna have to fuck her here. There is no way out of the building right now."

He smirked

"This cheap whore will be right at home on a toilet stall," he said pulling her towards the men's room.

Once inside he let go of her hair and put a finger to his lips. He gave her back her wand and whispered.

"You need to scream like a banshee, it will buy us a couple of minutes if they think I'm forcing you."

She started screaming and in the meantime conjured her Patronus and used it to record her screeching sounds and begs for him to stop. Then she made it float around close to the bathroom door. That will repeat in a loop for a couple of minutes. He smiled shaking his head. This witch was brilliant.

"We're gonna have to get out of here the muggle way," she said. Then she climbed on a sink towards a little window close to the ceiling. He gave her a push up and she looked out

"alleyway, two guys there watching around."

He pulled her down.

"You have to levitate me," he said. Then he used an extension charm to make the window wide enough.

"Levicorpus"

She carefully floated him and he slid halfway through the window, stunning and binding the two crooks from the alley, who never saw it coming. He held himself on the window frame long enough to levitate her and let himself go. He was so tall it was not a big fall for him, then he caught her when she dropped. He sent a Patronus message to the Auror headquarters in Laos with orders to transmit to London before apparating both of them to the hotel room.

After landing on their room Hermione looked at him and jumped into his arms, attacking his lips hungrily. He responded in kind.

"Is it weird that I'm so turned on by the way you manhandled me back there?"

He gave a crooked smile

"What can I say, I'm both your villain and your hero. It's always been like that with us Granger."

He threw her on the bed, then flipped her around and pulled on the slit on the back of her dress to rip it open.

"No underwear? Really Madam Undersecretary?"

She smiled and spoke through harsh breaths

"I didn't want any lines on my dress."

He spanked her arse and grabbed her hair, pulling her head back to speak in her ear while he aligned himself with her entrance.

"I was right then. You were ready to get fucked on a toilet stall like a cheap whore" he said, thrusting all the way inside of her.

She moaned with pleasure.

He repeated his lascivious licking of her face and thrust hard again.

" You like it don't you? When I'm a thug and make you my slut?" *thrust*

She could barely whisper between moans

"Yes".

He kept thrusting hard until he felt her walls clench and she came in a haze of raw lust and desire. When he felt her body relax again he undid the zipper and slid off her dress, then turned her around to lay on her back.

He took his clothes off and climbed on top of her, positioning himself gently to penetrate her again. She rewarded him with a soft, sweet moan. He started a slow rocking motion, enjoying the feeling of her, admiring how lovely she looked after reaching her orgasmic bliss.

"I want to be your hero more times than your villain. I want to make love to you in every possible way. I want you to be mine."

She laced her fingers to the hair in the back of his head and pull him down for a kiss. Then she increased the rhythm of their rocking hips.

"Come for me Draco. I want you to be mine."

He deepened the kiss and let her drive him towards his release. When he came, he felt complete for the first time in years. He didn't want to do the undercover work anymore. He was done. Five years of elaborate lies had taken its toll. Two days of being open and honest with this witch made him wish that this was his life. A life without lies. A real life.


	5. Chapter 5

AN: I think this is it, the last chapter, at least for now. This one is more fluff than anything. Thank you so much for your following.

The rest of the diplomatic mission was canceled due to the magnitude of the attack. Although all participants were apparently apprehended, there was no need to take unnecessary risks. After all, Hermione Granger was the second most important person in the Wizarding government of Britain.

Under the request of the Minister and of the Head Auror Harry Potter, they both returned to London but were given two days off to recover. They spent them at Hermione's flat, ordering all the Asian food they didn't have time to eat because of the trip cut short, feeding each other in bed and having sex like rabbits. Hermione was elated. Ironically, save the fact that there had been an attempt on her life, she had not been so relaxed in a very long time.

But all good things must end, at least until the weekend. They had to go to work for a couple of days, and the second day Hermione had a meeting with Kingsley Shaklebolt. He praised the diplomatic work that Hermione was able to complete before the attack. She thanked him but was quick to explain the role that Draco had in helping her make decisions according to the readings that he got from the Lao diplomats.

"Well, that comes as good news, we could place Draco as a diplomatic chaperon instead of his previous work. His cover got blown, so we cannot send him to do undercover work anymore. He will have to stay closer to home. But still, his aristocratic background is very useful in diplomacy, as is the fact that he speaks several languages. But I want him to stay associated with the Auror department. His skills are unique and I want him to join Potter on the training of new recruits."

Hermione smiled at that. Draco had told her how desperately he wanted his undercover life to be over, but as long as he was a valuable asset the Minister had the right to keep him where he was more useful. Now that his shelf life as an undercover agent had expired, things were actually looking up for them.

"So are you replacing him with someone else? I assume maybe someone like Theodore Nott, acceptable to pureblood racists?"

Shaklebolt shook his head no.

"We are bringing a new asset. A completely different type, we don't want the rogue wizards to get suspicious by sending someone too similar to Malfoy. We have a British agent that got trained in America by MACUSA. It was Draco's idea actually since the agent requested to join the British Auror service."

"Oh, that's smart. Someone that has not been detected inside the ministry yet. Who is it?"

Shacklebolt pushed a file towards her. The picture of a familiar beauty looked back at her.

"Astoria Greengrass. She will most likely pose as a bawd, a trafficker of high priced escorts. I have contacted the Muggle Prime Minister so she can pass as an MI6 agent to use muggle female agents as bait. Draco will train her personally. He has already put together a whole fake profile for her."

Hermione swallowed hard but did her best to school her features. Draco had suggested bringing his ex-fiancé back from America so he can personally train her to pass as a sex trafficker. She couldn't hear anything else that the Minister was saying, so she simply smiled and nodded at everything.

When the meeting was adjourned she ran to her office to get her things, then told her assistant that she was still very tired from her trip and was going home a bit early. Then she ran through the floo.

When she got home she dropped her things in a corner and ran to the kitchen to open a bottle of wine. She poured a glass and downed half of it before taking a sit on the couch. She took deep breaths. She was panicking. There has to be an explanation right? After all, Ron Weasley had been her security detail many times over the years and that never lead to anything. But Ron and she were both Gryffindors, always with their heart on their sleeve. Draco and Astoria were Slytherins. Raised among manipulation and deception. She didn't know Astoria personally, but she couldn't deny that the woman was gorgeous.

Before she had time to completely lose her mind or get drunk she heard the floo and a bubbly Draco walked through, carrying a pizza box.

"I think we had enough Asian food for a while. I thought we were due for a change. Oh great, that wine will be perfect for it."

He put the box on the coffee table, conjured a glass and poured himself some wine. He took a long sip and turned to kiss Hermione.

"Hello, beautiful. You left the office early. I was gonna come by and invite you out to dinner but your assistant said you were already home so I brought the party here" he said with a smile.

Ok, this was not the attitude of a man that wanted to get back together with his ex. Still, she was not gonna relax about it until she knew every detail. She went for nonchalance.

"Yeah, I was pretty tired after my meeting with Shacklebolt. Speaking of that, he mentioned that your undercover days are over."

He beamed.

"Yes, my cover got busted, so I'm not valuable there anymore. Seems like I will stay around. Join Potter in the training room."

She forced a smile and tried to sound casual.

"So Shaklebolt mention that you have already a new agent in mind to take your place?" she sipped her wine to hide her anxiety.

His smile was nonfailing.

"Yup. Potter told me that Astoria had requested the transfer from MACUSA to the ministry here so I immediately thought she would be perfect. Pureblood but not a copy of me. She can go in with a different angle than mine. I'll supervise her Occlumance and Legilimance training. I'm sure her Occlumance is already pretty good" he said with a smirk.

Hermione tried to probe for more details.

"So, how come she went to train with MACUSA instead of staying here? Wasn't she supposed to marry you?" she said the last couple of words into her wine glass.

Draco looked at her with a risen eyebrow.

"Hermione, just ask the question. Don't try to beat around the bush, I am the expert on reading people here."

She gave up and sigh

"Did she leave because you broke her heart? How do you know that she didn't transfer to try to get back together with you?"

He chuckled.

"You are jealous Granger. That's adorable."

"Can you please answer the question?" she said irritably.

He lifted his hands in surrender

"Oh right, oh right. Look, you are not that far fetched. Astoria did leave because of a broken heart, but it was not me. After the war, she confessed to me that the idea she had for our marriage was that I would let her be if she would turn a blind eye to whatever womanizing she assumed I would want to do. She was lying to herself until she fell in love. Unfortunately, that love broke her heart, poor thing. Can you imagine, a Slytherin broken hearted over a Hufflepuff?"

Hermione looked at him with huge eyes

"Who?"

Draco gave a sad smile

"Susan Bones".

Hermione just blinked. Then she finally asked

"What happened? Susan is the sweetest woman around."

Draco nodded

"She is, and Astoria fell head over heels for her. But Astoria is the adventurous type. She wanted to join the Aurors and do spy work. She wanted to detach herself from her stiff upbringing, be the opposite of a trophy wife. But Susan is a Hufflepuff. She wanted a family, routine, children as soon as possible. And she didn't want a wife that was risking her life every day. She gave Astoria an ultimatum and that didn't go well."

Hermione felt ashamed of her own jealousy but also heartbroken for the two girls. That was a sad story, but she would totally side with Astoria on her choice. At least until now, she had been a dedicated career woman herself. Although now she was embarrassed to admit that she had been thinking about babies. And wondering how she would look carrying around a platinum blond baby. Calm down Hermione, do not get ahead of yourself.

"Well, I hope things work out for her. She did choose a very dangerous field."

Draco shrugged

"I got tired of the work because my adolescence was all masks and lies. She didn't have to go through that kind of thing, she was just trapped in a boring, stiff life. She may still want to be in for a few more years of adventures. Maybe a lifetime. Whatever it is, I hope she gets to have a full life."

Hermione cupped his face and kissed him sweetly.

"You are a good man, Draco Malfoy."

He gave her a bright smile

"You have no idea how happy it makes me hear you say that."


End file.
